It’s easy to forget the massive impact this band made to the music scene 10 years ago. A band that was easily dismissed as nine men in masks, has become one of the premier metal acts on the planet. This year saw them release ‘All Hope Is Gone’, their fourth album, to critical acclaim and headline the main stage at Donnington Park. The acceptance and praise that so easily falls at the their feet was very different 10 years ago, and is testament to their self belief and hard work. The bands success is built on the loyalty and the desire of their fans, the maggots, who could not relate to the music of the time and were searching for a new outlet. An outlet they found and embraced in the nine through their debut album, ‘Slipknot’.
‘Slipknot’ still provides staples for the blistering live Slipknot shows and introduced the energy, aggression and fuck-you attitude that would go on to take the world by storm. The album still feels vibrant, although what once seemed so groundbreaking now seems so familiar. But what makes the “special edition” special I hear you ask? The album is nicely packaged with expanded artwork, alternate mixes, demo versions and bonus tracks.
In addition to the expanded CD there is also a DVD containing the music videos from the album, nothing that you can’t find online, but still nice to have (especially if your TV is a little larger the size of a laptop screen). Slipknots appearance at the Dynamo Festival in 2000, and a short film documenting the early years provide a window back to the world of Slipknot that is very different to their world today.
9/10
